Clean Your Streams Day
Every September since 1997, volunteers have undertaken a Northwest Ohio environmental tradition of removing trash from their local streams, rivers, and ditches on Clean Your Streams Day. Partners for Clean Streams and collaborating organizations will host the program on September 27th this year, with seven kickoffs located around the greater-Toledo area. To date, more than 418,000 pounds of trash have been removed from area waterways by over 16,000 volunteers.
How To Get Involved
CYS 30 REGISTRATION IS COMING SOON 🤩
On the morning of September 27, 2025, volunteers began at their registered kickoff. At each kickoff, volunteers were provided supplies and safety training before spreading out to their assigned waterway clean-up sites. Following the clean-up, volunteers gathered at the Lucas County Fairgrounds for an appreciation picnic, where they enjoyed free food, door prizes, community partner outreach tables, and some preliminary results from the friendly-yet-competitive Challenge Awards.
This year, we’re celebrating 30 Years of Clean Your Streams Day! We’re pulling out all the stops (and all of the litter) with a goal of having 1,000+ volunteers participate. More details about the clean-up event and appreciation picnic will be coming soon so check back here and get ready to celebrate three decades of impact in our community.
For more information regarding our Youth, Collegiate, and Corporate/Business competitions please view the Volunteer Resources section below.
We can’t wait to see you soon for CYS 30 🎉💧🥳
Program Impact in 2025
CYS 29
759
Volunteers
11,000+
Pounds of marine debris removed
61
Waterway sites cleaned
Kickoff sites include:
- City of Oregon Municipal Building
- Glass City Metropark, Toledo
- Monroe Street United Methodist Church
- Westwinds Metropark
- Side Cut Metropark
- University of Toledo
- Woodlands Park
- Independence Dam State Park, Defiance
We also host a weeklong clean-on-your-own Remote Kickoff that takes place the week of September 19th to September 25th this year! Remote Kickoff participants can arrange with PCS to borrow clean-up supplies and are encouraged to ask Partners for Clean Streams about suggested waterway sites.
Thank You to Our CYS 29 Sponsors!
Grant Funder
Grant Funder
Grant Funder
Grant Funder
Grant Funder
Community Partner
CYS Affiliate
CYS Affiliate
CYS Affiliate
CYS Affiliate
CYS Underwriter
CYS Underwriter
CYS Underwriter
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Supporters
The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc.
Oak Openings Region Conservancy
Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation
City of Perrysburg
Monroe St. United Methodist Church
Metroparks Toledo
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is it?
Clean Your Streams Day will be held September 26th this year. Registration will open in June.
How do I register?
Once registration opens, you can register online and get access to our printed liability waiver that we require from participants.
What should I do if I want to register more than one group?
If you want to register more than one group (for example, your child’s Scout troop as well as a group of your coworkers), you must contact us directly. Our registration system can only handle one email associated with each group leader. PCS staff will help you create a custom registration. Call us at 419-874-0727 or email [email protected].
What is the remote kickoff option?
Starting in 2020, some volunteers wanted to clean-up and record data on their own, outside of the larger kickoffs on Clean Your Streams Day. We have continued to offer our Remote Kickoff option since. To participate in a remote clean-up, register for Clean Your Streams and select the Remote Kickoff option. After registering for this kickoff, you’ll receive detailed instructions in your confirmation email, but the short version is: pick your own waterway site to clean, and complete a clean-up and data recording at your convenience in the week leading up to CYS Day.
What is a site captain and what do they do?
Site captains are responsible for the coordination of a group or team at a designated site, including assignment of team jobs (i.e. data recorder, trash collector), having first aid materials (provided by PCS), knowing emergency numbers (provided by PCS), gives/takes supplies, and turning in extra supplies, completed data cards, and completed Site Captain Reports at the Supply Station at the Appreciation Picnic. Each group of over 10 participants is required to have 1 Site Captain for every 10 volunteers. Training for Site Captains are required and are usually scheduled for the week before CYS Day.
How does Clean Swell work for collecting marine debris data?
We’re glad you asked! Check out our Clean Swell App How-To and FAQ.
Learn More
…about what marine debris is and how you can prevent it.
…about the local waterways that this program benefits.
…about simple lifestyle changes that add up to help our waterways.